A Different Kind of Duet
by manga-ghost
Summary: In Duet, it was a Wraith taken into the dart with Rodney instead of Laura Cadman. With Rodney sharing the Wraith's body, everyone is racing against time to get Rodney back to normal before something awful happens. And Rodney? He's racing against himself. [discontinued]
1. Chapter 1

"So what do we do when it wakes up?"

When he came to, Rodney's head was pounding. It felt like there was half the amount of room that there had been before the dart had scooped him and that Wraith up. Cadman had managed to push Carson out the way during the chase, but he'd been sucked up into the dart itself. Not the most pleasant experience that had ever happened to him, and he'd been through several unpleasant experiences.

"Stop it from escaping, give it a name, make sure it doesn't get round to doing any life-sucking."

And there was Sheppard's lazy drawl, laid back as usual. But wait, that almost sounded like they were talking about a Wraith. There was a Wraith in here with him? Were they insane?

"You make that sound so easy, you know?"

"So did you when you asked me to push that goddamn button!"

"I told you, there was a 50/50 chance that we could have got Rodney out of there. Now, we just have to deal with the consequences."

Rodney could have groaned. Radek, trust Radek to get things wrong somehow. Honestly, if he was still inside that dart the entire base would go to pieces without Rodney.

"You make that sound so easy. Now, you could probably make it a whole lot easier by getting back to what's left of that dart and finding a way to get McKay out of there!"

Hey wait, what? Rodney was right here, in front of them! Even Sheppard should be able to see that. The man had passed a MENSA test after all, no matter how Air-Force he tried to appear.

"I'm right here, if you haven't noticed," he snapped irritably, opening his eyes. That was odd, his voice sounded different. Deeper. Kind of croaky. Maybe it was a side effect of the dart. Oh, Carson was going to hear about this and no mistake. Sheppard and Radek jumped and turned round, Radek looking noticeably more fearful.

Sheppard walked closer to the bed, but his hands, Rodney noticed with some alarm, didn't leave the trigger of his P-90. "Well, this is different," he drawled. "Usually we get a bit of a colder greeting than that. Now, I think you need a name. How about Joe?"

Rodney really wasn't amused now. If this was one of Sheppard's hilarious jokes, he was actually going to make sure that there was no heating in the man's quarters for the next month, connection with the city be damned. It wasn't as if he was a Wraith. "That's hilarious, Sheppard," he said bitingly. "Really funny, though I think we're pretty clear that I don't need a name because I already have one. I know losing me in that dart must have come as a great shock, but there's no need to act like my absence gave you amnesia."

Sheppard blinked, then exchanged a glance with Radek, who was watching Rodney open-mouthed.

"_Můj ty bože,"_ said Radek faintly. "Rodney? That is you, isn't it?"

"Of course it's me, who else would it be?"

Sheppard and Radek exchanged another glance, Sheppard finally lowering his P-90, and wasn't that an improvement not having the dangerous weapon pointing at him?

"What?" he said, a little quieter. The looks the two men were giving him made him nervous. They were deathbed looks. The really bad situation looks. The Rodney Something Bad Has Happened And We Need A Miracle looks.

"Rodney," said Sheppard with an odd look on his face. "You might need to take a few deep breaths before you hear this. But there's something you really, really ought to know."


	2. Chapter 2

Elizabeth paced the floor before turning to look at John and Carson, the latter of whom was looking just about as uncomfortable as the former felt. "So you're saying that Rodney has come out of that dart in the body of a Wraith?" she said incredulously. John couldn't really blame her. He'd been exactly the same when he'd heard what was recognizably _Rodney_ coming out of the thing's mouth. The entire experience was unsettling in the worst possible way.

"It looks like that," he said carefully, glancing down at the Wraith – Rodney, he told himself – in the isolation room. He still couldn't believe it himself. White hair, green skin, slitted eyes, life sucking hole on palm – but it was _Rodney_ in there. Rodney who was currently looking completely dejected and staring at nothing, an expression that was all too human on the Wraith features. He swallowed and turned away.

"And do we have any idea how this will affect him?" Elizabeth said, a frown marring her features. Carson looked between her and John nervously before answering.

"The truth is Elizabeth, we have no idea. Dr Zelenka thinks that it's possible that both Rodney and the Wraith consciousness are sharing that body. But we don't know what kind of strain that could cause Rodney."

Elizabeth gave him a look. "You think that he'll need to feed… like a Wraith to stay alive?"

Carson hesitated, a look of concern on his face. John felt his insides turn cold. "Aye," he said finally. "It's possible."

Elizabeth sighed. "Alright. What have we got?"

"Zelenka said he was gonna try and run some tests on the dart. See if he can find some way to get Rodney's body out of there. But when I checked the transformer was pretty beat up," said John, trying to keep his mind off the fact that Rodney was a goddamn Wraith now. If he was going to have Ronon on his team, he was going to have to keep this one under his hat for a while. From what John had seen of the former Runner, he was not going to take kindly to having a Wraith as a teammate, no matter how temporary the situation was. "What I'm saying, Elizabeth, is that I have no idea how long Zelenka's gonna take to find a solution."

"Right. Carson, I think it's best if we keep Rodney in the isolation chamber for now. Keep an eye on him. I'm going to check on Zelenka," Elizabeth said firmly, nodding at them both and heading towards the door. John glared at her retreating back for a moment before following her.

"Dr Weir!"

She turned round as he hurried towards her. "You're not just gonna keep Rodney in there, are you?" he said in a low voice.

"I don't think we really have a choice, John," she said with a steely glint in her eye. "Whether we like it or not, Rodney is stuck in that body, and until we know more, he's a –"

"- danger to the expedition," John said, interrupting her through gritted teeth. "I realize that, but look. It's… still Rodney in there. And if I was him, I'd be pretty freaked out by now. Now I'm no shrink, but what he doesn't need right now is us running away from him."

Elizabeth gave him a piercing look. "You're offering to talk to him?"

John gave a non-committal shrug. "I've been in worse situations. Besides, I think it would be," he paused. "refreshing to have a conversation with a Wraith who doesn't want to kill me."

Elizabeth bowed her head to hide a smile, then looked John in the eye. He tried to keep his face impassive, despite the fact that part of him was already congratulating himself on having worn Elizabeth down. "Alright," she said. "But be careful."

"I'm always careful," he said with a smile, and headed towards the isolation room.

* * *

Rodney was still in shock. God help him, he was a Wraith. A Wraith. A life-sucking alien that could kill everyone on this base so easily, just like _that_. God, it wasn't fair. Why did these things always happen to him? How would he be able to work like this? That caveman runner, Dex or whatever his name was, would snap his neck at the first opportunity!

What was worse was that Rodney was sure he wasn't alone – he could hear something in the back of his mind. This could only get worse. Only get much, much worse.

"What are you doing in my mind, human?" growled a voice, and he jumped.

"Who said that?" he squeaked in his Wraith-voice. There was a snort of amusement.

"The one whose body you are currently borrowing, Rodney McKay."

"Oh. Oh, this is not good. This is so many kinds of not good," Rodney groaned.

"No. It is not good for either of us," the Wraith agreed.

John smiled sarcastically at the two marines standing guard outside the door before stepping through. Rodney was sitting on the gurney with his head in his hands. John felt a pang of sympathy as he stopped a few feet from where Rodney was sitting.

"Hey Rodney," he said as casually as he could. The Wra – _Rodney_, he reminded himself in annoyance, irritated that he was still calling Rodney 'the Wraith' in his head – raised its head to look at him.

"How are you, uh, feeling?" He cursed himself as soon as the words left his mouth. Bad Bedside Manner 07: Ask a question with an obvious answer. _Great going, John!_

"Oh, fine. Absolutely fine. I mean, several people are probably gonna want to shoot me on sight when they see me, but I'm fine." Rodney scowled and John fought the momentary urge to point his P-90 at the Wraith face in front of him. Damn, when had it become instinct to do that? Rodney was speaking again, the familiar note of hysteria in his voice. "In fact, you know what? I'm a green, vampire thing that can suck the life out of people with its hands, everyone's afraid of me, and I'm actually finding myself sympathizing with Ford right now. I think I'm about as far from fine as it's possible to be!"

John winced, and was suddenly reminded that he'd given the order to shoot the dart down. Well that just complicated things so much, because now it was his fault that Rodney was in this position. "Okay, that was a bad question. Look, Rodney – "

"What I really need is for you to shut up!" Rodney shouted suddenly.

John blinked. "Okay," he said lightly, and Rodney looked at him with such a Rodney-ish expression of surprise and confusion that John had to look away.

"Oh, I wasn't talking to you, I was talking to," Rodney gestured at his head with one hand, "him."

John looked at Rodney, realization striking him. "You're sharing your brain with that thing?"

"Well technically I'm sharing it's brain, but… yes" Rodney admitted helplessly.

John took a step closer to Rodney. "You know they're gonna suggest getting Heightmeyer in here."

"Yeah, and that'll really help," Rodney said sarcastically. "Even if she doesn't faint in terror, our Wraith friend and I already know where we stand with each other. I doubt she could do much to help!"

"She won't faint in terror."

"Please Colonel. You're standing over there with one hand on your gun. Radek – Radek can't even bear to look at me. And I haven't seen Teyla, Elizabeth or Carson in here," Rodney said in despair. John realized that it was true and felt shame rise up in his gut.

"Rodney…" John searched for something comforting to say and found nothing. "Ok. Zelenka is busy working on the dart. Hopefully he'll be able to find some way of getting you back into your own body."

"I should be out there working with him."

"Rodney –"

"I know, I know I can't. Elizabeth has probably said I should be kept in here, right?"

John hesitated. "_Elizabeth_," he said finally, putting as much emphasis on Elizabeth's name as possible, "did uh, say that, yes."

Rodney looked at him and John swallowed again, because seeing Rodney on that face was still creeping him out. A lot.

"To keep people safe," Rodney said. It wasn't a question.

John nodded. But before he could open his mouth to say anything else, a buzz on his radio stopped him.

"Colonel Sheppard, this is Weir."

John turned his back reluctantly on Rodney. "Go ahead."

"How is he?"

John glanced at Rodney and took a step closer to the door. "Well… same old Rodney, really. I mean, he's a little, uh, creeped out but…" John thought about the best way to say this. "It looks like Zelenka's theory about sharing minds is right."

"Should we get Dr Heightmeyer in there?"

John glanced at Rodney again, who was very pointedly not looking at him. "I don't think that would be a good idea at the moment, Elizabeth. I mean for a start we don't know how much control Rodney has. I don't really wanna risk it."

"If you're sure, John…" Elizabeth sounded doubtful. "If you want to come up to where we've got the dart, Zelenka thinks he might be on to something."

"On my way." John looked at Rodney. "Uh, listen, I need to go and…"

"Yes yes yes. Go on and see what they're up to. See if you can get Zelenka working any faster," Rodney said impatiently. John was in half a mind to stay with Rodney and make sure that he didn't try and do anything stupid, but then he thought of Carson. Surely Rodney would be fine with him?

He smiled. "I'll threaten to take him off-world again," he drawled as he left the room, and felt slightly better about the whole thing when a small smile spread across Rodney's features.

* * *

Rodney sighed once Sheppard had left the room. Well, that hadn't gone so bad. At least it looked like one person in the city was willing to give him a chance. The Wraith had stayed oddly quiet throughout most of that exchange, apart from a rather irritating point where it had started screaming at him for control of the body and he'd done his best to ignore it. Now however, it seemed to want to talk.

"That human the Colonel is your friend."

"Yes," he said irritably, not in the mood to go into the extent to human relationships with a Wraith. "Not something you're likely to understand."

"But he was afraid of you."

Rodney shook off the small pang of rejection that statement gave him and snapped back. "No, he was afraid of you. I just happen to be unlucky enough to be sharing your body!"

A pause. Rodney hoped that the Wraith had decided to shut up, but he was disappointed when it started speaking again.

"Tell me Rodney McKay, how long will it take your scientists to get the beaming technology of our ship working?"

"A few hours if we're lucky, but more likely to be a few days."

"I hope for both our sakes it is the former."

"Really, and why's that?"

"Tell me, have you ever known starvation?"

Rodney felt the beginnings of a horrible cold feeling in the pit of his stomach. His Wraith stomach. His Wraith stomach that couldn't digest normal food…

"No," he said nervously. "Why?"

A humorless chuckle. "You are a scientist, are you not? I have not fed in several days. Consider this a learning experience. Perhaps you will feel more sympathetic towards the Wraith once you have felt their hunger."


	3. Chapter 3

"_Proklít!_" Radek cursed as a lone spark from one of the Wraith systems shocked him.

"Is there something wrong?" Greta, one of the German scientists, said curiously.

"What? No, no, I just shocked myself on these systems," Radek assured her, shaking his head. "Did we manage to get those mice?"

"Yes Dr Zelenka; they are over there."

"Good. Good," Radek smiled at her, but before he could elaborate a ringing voice cut through the hubbub of the lab.

"Zelenka, you better have some good news." Radek turned to see Colonel Sheppard walking towards him.

"Ah. Yes, yes. We have just finished successfully running some simulations about how we think the beaming process works. We've been trying to hook up our generators to the dart without having it overload."

"Which would be bad."

"Yes, very bad. But I think we might have something. We're attempting to run the generator on a buffer loop. If it works, it should trick the dart into taking just the power it needs. We were just about to attempt our first experiment on a pair of mice."

Sheppard raised an eyebrow at him skeptically. "Mice."

"_Letectvo,_" Radek muttered irritably. "Yes, yes, mice. They work just as well for this –"

"Gentlemen," Dr Weir's voice rang, loud and clear, above what was brewing to be an argument. "I'm sure we want to see how Dr Zelenka's test will work out." She looked between them both expectantly. Radek sighed.

"Thank you. As I was saying, if all goes according to plan then we should be able to beam the mice in and out of the dart without much mishap."

"And if it doesn't?"

"Then we will deal with that when it comes," Radek frowned, adjusting his glasses. He turned back to the console, trying to ignore the way Sheppard was hovering slightly behind him. "How is Rodney?" he said quietly.

"He wants you to hurry up," Sheppard said carelessly. "So I told him I'd threaten to take you off-world again if you didn't."

Radek rolled his eyes and muttered to himself. "Ok. Are we ready?" There were nods and murmurs of assent from the room. "Right. Firing now."

Radek held his breath as the beam swept over the two mice. "_Spěchej__, spěchej_" he muttered, willing the life signs to show up on his monitor. But even after waiting several agonizingly long moments, there was nothing. _"__Sakra!__"_

"What's going on?" Weir said cautiously. Radek turned to face her bleakly.

"The mice did not turn up inside the dart. It looks like we are going to have to carry on making modifications until we can get them to rematerialize."

Sheppard glanced at him. "Looks like you've got a bit of work to do." Radek nodded grimly and turned back to his console. In the background her heard Sheppard remark to Weir, "Look, I'm meant to be sparring with Teyla this afternoon so if anything comes up, let me know, ok?"

As he heard Sheppard leave the room Weir came and smiled at him. "I don't mean to put any undue pressure on you, Radek," she said, her face resuming a serious expression. "But we really need you to solve this problem as quickly as possible."

He gave her a quick smile. "Understood." He sighed and turned back to his team. _"__Ještě_, come on! We need to get this one solved now!_ Pospěš si!__" _

* * *

"No," Rodney said flatly. "No, nonononono. No matter what, there is no way that I am going to be feeding on anyone, thank you!" 

"The prospect of starvation scares you."

"Yes, and that's all very well and good, but the prospect of feeding off someone on this base scares me a lot more at the moment!"

"So you intend to let us starve?" the Wraith said angrily.

"Well it's not as if there's any viable alternative at the minute," Rodney said sarcastically. "Not unless you've suddenly developed the amazing ability to digest normal food."

"Not for you, perhaps. But for me –"

"No, we are not going there. We are so not going there," he snapped, cutting the Wraith off.

"Run and hide if you wish. It will be amusing to see how long you can keep up the charade."

* * *

John was surprised to find both Teyla and Ronon in the practice room when he arrived up there. The two seemed to be getting on well and although they weren't fighting now, they both looked as though the sparring had given them both a good workout. Despite his worry about Rodney, John found he couldn't help but smile. It looked like Teyla had found someone she could fight without having to wait for them to pick their ass up off the mat every five seconds.

Even so he said, "What happened to us sparring together?"

Teyla glanced at him. "You were late," she said pointedly. "Ronon here is a most accomplished fighter, so I agreed to practice with him."

Ronon gave him a small nod at Teyla's words, and John smiled quickly back at him. Teyla might be smiling but there was a tension in the room that made him sure something had happened when he had been out the room. Still, he wasn't one to antagonize a guest when there seemed to be no problem, so… "I hope I'm not getting replaced."

"Far from it Colonel. There is still much you have to learn." For the first time, Ronon seemed to crack a smile. He seemed amused, but John still hadn't forgotten how they'd met, and redoubled his inner promise not to tell Ronon about the situation with Rodney. Besides there was no need for Teyla to make fun of him like that!

So he nodded and said "Teyla. Could I talk to you for a second?"

Teyla looked at him curiously. "Of course." She turned to Ronon and smiled. "Shall I see you later, Ronon?"

The tall man nodded. "Probably." He paused and looked at Teyla a little longer as if he was going to say something more, then nodded again and left the room. John followed this with narrowed eyes. Something had definitely happened before he had got here and no mistake. He nodded at Ronon as the taller man left the room.

"What was that all about?" he asked Teyla, hoping he sounded off-hand.

"Ronon was a little… intense during our sparring. I told him he did not have to go easy on me."

"Teyla, you've got to be careful about what you say to that guy," John said, annoyed. The last thing he needed was another member of his team incapacitated.

"I am sure he would not have hurt me," Teyla said firmly. Before John could open his mouth to voice the view that Yes, Ronon could and was very much capable of hurting her, she continued. "Now, you wished to speak with me about something?"

"Uh… yeah. I don't know if you heard about what happened earlier off-world?"

"Only that a dart was brought down and that they managed to recover a Wraith from the wreckage."

"Yeah well, that's what we thought." Teyla looked at him expectantly, halfway through storing her sticks. John glanced around instinctively and said quietly, "Look, don't go spreading this around, but Rodney's… kinda uh, stuck, inside that Wraith's head." He watched Teyla's eyes widen and she nodded. "I just thought you needed to know. Being a member of my team and all."

"I see. And I take it you do not wish Ronon to know of this."

"That would be ideal, yes. Seeing as he seems to hate the Wraith even more than we do, and I'd like to get Rodney back in one piece."

"As would I, Colonel," Teyla said gravely. "Ronon does seem – aggrieved towards the Wraith, although not without good reason. I fear that if he saw Rodney in his current state, he would – "

" – shoot first, ask questions later, and I've seen what that gun of his can do," John said with a frown, thinking of the holes Ronon had blown in the targets on the firing range.

"I understand. He shall not know anything that has passed between us here." Teyla paused. "It must be very trying for Rodney. Do you think that I could be allowed to speak to him?"

"Uh, Rodney? I don't see why not. I mean, if you really want to," John said, taken aback slightly. He didn't really know why he felt so reluctant to let Teyla see Rodney all of a sudden. Teyla could take care of herself if, God forbid, the Wraith took control, and she was smart enough to know that it was Rodney in there in the first place, so why… He mentally shook his head. Probably just stress.

"Where might I find him?"

"He's in the isolation room. I'd probably talk to Carson first though. Just in case."

"You are worried about him," Teyla stated. John opened his mouth to argue and found that he couldn't. She he just nodded. Teyla put a hand on his shoulder in sympathy. "I am sure that sooner or later he will be fine." John nodded again, knowing that Teyla was most likely just as worried as he was. Teyla's hand left his shoulder and she left the room.

He sighed. Even now he wasn't sure if he'd done the right thing.

* * *

Carson's eyes were unfocused and full of worry when Teyla entered the infirmary. He clearly wasn't reading a word of any of the reports in front of him.

"Dr. Beckett?" Teyla said gently. Carson blinked, startled, and smiled bemusedly at her.

"Teyla! To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I have just been informed of Rodney's… condition," she said, uncertain of the right word to use. "I was wondering if I may be allowed to see him."

Carson's eyebrows came together in a frown. "I take it you got this from Colonel Sheppard?"

"Yes," Teyla said. She did not mention that she was worried about both John and Rodney. She knew herself how difficult it could be to be associated with the Wraith, even if her own circumstances paled in comparison to what Rodney was going through now. And as for John, Teyla had come to know the Lieutenant Colonel well enough to know when he was worried about something. He was hiding it well – as he always did – but Teyla knew that what was happening to Rodney was unsettling him more than he would ever let on.

Well, she reasoned, perhaps she would now see why. At the very least she would get a chance to offer some support to Rodney.

"To be honest Teyla, I'm starting to think that having visitors might be the best thing for him," Carson said, echoing her own thoughts. "I think what Rodney needs most right now are some friends. I know that if I were him I'd be scared half to death."

"It cannot be a pleasant feeling," Teyla agreed. "Shall I…?" she motioned towards the door.

"Go ahead," Carson said with a weak smile. Teyla smiled back as she headed towards the isolation room, but when Carson was out of sight she took a deep, calming breath. There was a familiar sense of cold in the back of her mind that she knew must be Rodney. The sense of cold that usually meant fight or flight – but if she was going to be any help to Rodney at all, she was going to have to quash this feeling.

So when she came to the door of the room, it was with a smile that belied her apprehension.

"Hello Rodney," she said cautiously. When Rodney looked up she fought the urge to recoil from the Wraith that was looking at her. Then he spoke and that momentary desire was gone.

"Teyla? I, uh, wasn't expecting to see you. Here, I mean." Teyla smiled. Now she knew that it was no Wraith that spoke to her, but Rodney.

"Do not be so surprised, Rodney. As soon as I heard about what had happened I was worried." Teyla paused and moved closer to Rodney, sitting next to him on the bed. "No one wants you to go through this experience alone."

Rodney smiled wryly. "Yes, well while the offer of company is greatly appreciated, people telling me that I can stop sharing this body would be a lot more helpful at the minute."

"I'm afraid I cannot tell you that," Teyla said softly. "What I do know is that everyone is trying their hardest to find a solution."

"Yes, yes, I know that, believe me. I don't suppose you've heard from Dr Zelenka or Colonel Sheppard at all?" Rodney winced slightly at the end of these words – or at least, Teyla assumed it was a wince. It was difficult to tell on a non-human face. It was enough to make her concerned.

"Colonel Sheppard was the one who told me about this, although I have not heard from him since I came to the infirmary." She frowned at Rodney, who seemed to be lost inside his own world. "Rodney? Are you alright?"

"What? Yes, yeah, I'm fine. Well, you know, considering. Do I, um, look starving to you at all?"

Teyla looked at Rodney cautiously, ready to move quickly if anything happened. Then she immediately chided herself for thinking something like that about Rodney. "No," she said instead.

"Oh, good. You know, that's good, because he – the Wraith that is, was, you know, saying some stuff and I really thought…" Rodney petered out. "Yeah."

Teyla smiled sympathetically. "I know how difficult it can be. The Wraith can make you believe things about yourself that are not true. No matter what, you are still you, Rodney."

"I'd be more convinced if I felt more like me," Rodney muttered.

"Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Um. Yes," said Rodney, looking at her. "Yeah, there is something. You couldn't get me some of my own clothes, could you. You know, I'd never thought I'd say this but right now I'm actually missing the uniform."

"I should be able to do that for you," Teyla smiled, getting to her feet. "Have faith, Rodney. We are all working to find a solution to this."

* * *

John was so lost in thought walking along the corridors that he almost walked directly into Teyla.

"Whoa. Sorry Teyla. Didn't mean to bump into you like that."

"Think nothing of it, Colonel," Teyla said. "I was just about to return to my quarters. It is getting late," she said pointedly, obviously meaning that she thought John should be getting some rest.

"Yeah well, I don't really think I could sleep right now," he said truthfully. Teyla looked at him reproachfully and he cast around for a change of subject. "How's Rodney?"

"I believe he is very afraid," Teyla said heavily. "He is trying to hide it but I do not think he truly feels like himself." Teyla paused. "It was… very strange, seeing him like that. I still do not really know what to think."

"Yeah well, that makes two of us," John said tightly.

"I did bring him some of his own clothes to help him feel a little more normal. Hopefully that will help him." Teyla locked eyes with John. "You should get some rest, Colonel," she said kindly. "We shall be of no use to Rodney if we are too exhausted to help him."

John nodded. He waited until Teyla was gone and then with a sigh, turned around and headed to Elizabeth's office.

* * *

Rodney glanced at the clothes Teyla had left, folded neatly on the bed next to him. Then, huffing a sigh, he grabbed them.

"Shut up, you," he muttered, ignoring the tirade of Wraith insults being thrown at him as he began to change out of the clothes.

He tried not to look at the body as he did so.

* * *

John leaned on Elizabeth's desk while she looked at him with mild interest.

"John, you should really get some rest."

"Funny, but you're the second person who's said that to me in the past 10 minutes."

"And I guess that I'm the second person you've ignored as well," she said, a smile evident in her voice.

"Yeah." John motioned to Elizabeth's laptop. "I don't see you getting much sleep either."

"Touché." Elizabeth sighed. "The Daedalus is due to arrive tomorrow. I'm still working out what I'm going to tell Colonel Caldwell."

"How about we don't tell him anything," John suggested lightly. "I thought they weren't coming until next week, anyway?"

"They moved it forward," Elizabeth said with a small frown. "Which does leave us with a slight problem."

"What?" John said sarcastically, pulling up a chair. "You mean the one where Rodney's a Wraith?"

Elizabeth looked at him. "You're really letting this get to you."

"Elizabeth – listen, a member of my team is stuck inside an alien body. Of course I'm letting it get to me!" he snapped fiercely.

Elizabeth bowed her head, which only led John to be more frustrated. He didn't have much time to dwell on that, since Elizabeth swiftly changed the subject. "How's Ronon coming along?"

"Oh fine. I mean, he's the best shot I've ever seen, and he can beat all my men in hand-to-hand combat. And he's ex-military."

"But?"

"But I'm not gonna make a decision until we've solved our current problem."

"You haven't told him about Rodney."

"Of course not! Look, this guy hates the Wraith a hell of a lot more than we do, he's been running from them for the past seven years. If he catches one hint of a rumour that there's a Wraith in the city Rodney'll be dead before we know it, and that is a situation that I would really like to avoid."

"So would I," Elizabeth sighed. "To be honest I really hope that Radek comes up with something soon. I mean, we don't even know what Rodney could possibly be going through right now." She stared, eyes unfocused, at the gateroom before sighing. "I'll check in with Carson and see how he's doing."

John nodded distractedly. He really should probably get some rest, but at the same time, he just couldn't sleep. Teyla had hit it on the head – he was worried about Rodney. They knew so little about the Wraith that they had no idea how this was going to affect him. And if he was honest, the not knowing was really pissing him off.

"Carson says it looks like he's sleeping," Elizabeth said, startling him out of his reverie. "So I guess that's something to be thankful for."

"Yeah, because the last thing we need is more problems," John drawled, and Elizabeth smiled, bowing her head.

* * *

Inside the isolation room, lying on the bed, the Wraith opened its eyes. 


End file.
